Eli Cugini

Journalist and critic

Eli Cugini is a Manchester-based literary critic and freelance journalist, with specialist expertise in contemporary literature, literary culture, queer media (books, films, TV, video games), trans politics, and sex and relationships. He is also a PhD student in English and American Studies at the University of Manchester, focusing on contemporary autofiction.He is a contributing writer at Vashti and a regular contributor to Dazed, and his work can be found in The Baffler, Defector, Cosmo UK, Xtra, Tribune, Gay Times, Eurogamer, Little White Lies, Electric Literature and elsewhere.

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Writing

SELECTED ESSAYSProblem Child / The BafflerFanfiction's Total Cultural Victory / DefectorBad Romance / The BafflerThe Good Little Pig Problem / GawkerThe troubled golden age of trans literature / XtraHow To Write About Trans People / Electric LiteratureAgainst the rise of gender-critical non-fiction / Vashti MediaBrianna Ghey’s legacy must be liberation—not further harm / XtraDo no harm? The trouble with Cass' therapy recommendations / Trans Safety NetworkFILM AND TVOn Dublin's TITE Film Festival / Little White LiesBisexual Season / Mid Theory CollectiveWhy is Emilia Pérez so polarising? / DazedThe problem with Sex Education season four and its trans storylines / DazedINTERVIEWSJudith Butler / DazedAndrea Long Chu / DazedOne Year On: 13 people on the ruling that changed their lives / Cosmopolitan UKElliot Page and Dominic Savage / DazedBrontez Purnell / Gay TimesBOOK REVIEWSJames Frankie Thomas's 'Idlewild' surfaces the intense agony of not getting to be gay / XtraMattie Lubchansky's 'Simplicity' interrogates queer communism / XtraI read Florence Given’s debut novel Girl Crush so you don’t have to / DazedGAMES CRITICISMThe bittersweet queer history of game development / Gay TimesOn Difficult Queer Games / EurogamerUnpacking the intertwined histories of porn and video games / Gay TimesHow can games engage with the complex realities of mental health? / EurogamerExplaining Link's gender in 'Breath of the Wild' / Gay TimesSEX AND CULTUREOn internet age verification / DazedBonnie Blue, Lily Phillips and the tabloidification of sex work / DazedIs porn addiction real? / Dazed